Sunday, January 16, 2011

Introduction to Linux Hosting

Introduction to Linux Hosting

Although the terms are often used interchangeably to describe a single platform, Linux and Unix are actually two separate operating systems. What are the differences? In terms of power, functionality and reliability, there are no significant differences. Unix is the oldest operating system and the one to heavily influence all modern platforms running today, including Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X especially. It is the system from which Linux was derived, an open-source version created by student Linus Torvalds and currently one of the most widely used operating systems in the web hosting environment.Improved Usability and Ease of Use Linux hosting is prevalent on the market, but there was a time when it was limited to a certain group of users. In the beginning, it was primarily used on academic level before being incorporated into the business environment and utilized in similar fashion as Unix. Around this time, only experienced administrators could thrive with the platform due to its complexities.However, Linux hosting and the system in general grew more popular. Today, developers and hosting providers are equipped with all the tools needed to make this platform just about as easy to use as the user-friendly Windows system. On the other hand, if you have the know-how, you can get the most out of Linux by controlling your site via the Shell's command line interface.Unparalleled Stability, Security and Reliability Like many other Unix-based solutions, Linux hosting has a reputation for providing the utmost in stability and reliability. With the proper configurations and a premium piece of hardware, this platform can run for incredibly long periods of time without needing to be rebooted for maintenance or technical issues. This is because similar to Unix, Linux has the ability to harness the processing power of the computer on which it is installed, producing unrivaled performance.While highly touted as one of the most stable and reliable systems, the output you get from the platform all depends on the underlying infrastructure and the hosting provider itself. And even though Linux is naturally more secure, improper configurations of Apache or PHP could make it just as vulnerable as any other system. Highly FunctionalThe functionality of Linux hosting can be attributed to the ability to make the most of the hardware, but its superb compatibility plays a significant role as well. It offers a greater range of support for programming languages than almost any other operation system. Some of the most common languages it supports are C, C++, Perl, PHP, Python and Ruby to name a few. It is also compatible with widely SQL databases of the open-source variety, such as Postgre SQL and the industry leading MySQL Server. When combined, these powerful components allow users to create dynamic, data-driven, interactive website that greatly surpass the functionality of traditional static HTML web pages. Cost EfficientIn most cases, Linux hosting is notably less expensive than solutions designed on the Microsoft Windows platform. This is because under the GNU GPL (General Public License), it is an open-source software application that can be freely distributed. Although not all versions are free, distributions such as CentOS, Debian and OpenSUSE are, thus making Linux hosting a solution that is clearly the most affordable on the market. And while Unix is not an open-source and freely distributed operating system, full support for the same open-source technologies means it is usually equally affordable and almost always cheaper than Windows.Why Choose Linux Hosting? There are many reasons to opt for a Linux hosting plan. It is the most widespread operating system platform in the hosting realm and largely supported by the development community that makes the web go round. In the right set up, Linux and Unix can both provide you with the most stable and secure environment, delivering a level of performance that is hard to match by some of most revered commercial products.Perhaps the greatest benefit is that is does not matter what operating system you have running on your personal computer; you can still choose a Linux or Unix hosting package and maintain your site directly from your web browser.